Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Samsung SDI to Invest $529 Million In OLED Production

Samsung SDI said on Monday it would boost production of
next-generation organic displays to six times the current level
by mid-2009, spending $529 million.

The move comes as leading panel makers try to grab a piece of
the fast-growing market for active-matrix organic
light-emitting diode (AM-OLED) displays, which make
better-quality, slimmer and more energy-efficient screens than
liquid crystal displays.

Samsung SDI, which produces small-sized AM-OLED screens used in
handheld devices, said in a filing with the local exchange that
it would invest 551.8 billion won ($528.6 million) until
mid-2009 to expand its AM-OLED output.

When the investment is completed, its production capacity will
reach 9 million units a month in 2-inch screen terms, compared
with 1.5 million currently, the company said.

Other makers are also moving fast to launch OLED products and
build scale. Sony last November started selling small-sized TVs
using OLED technology and Toshiba plans to ship
small-to-medium-size OLED screens for mobile devices in the
autumn.

Last week, Japan's Sankei Shimbun daily reported Matsushita is
finalizing plans to mass-produce 37-inch OLED TVs in three
years.